Has anyone tried either theTrident Marine copper spikes, or the Bird Barrier America "Bird Flite" strips in their battle with those pesky fecal flyers? The May 1999 Powerboat Reports did a good review of most of the anti-bird devices, but not on these two. Any and all clever new ideas gratefully accepted !!
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Bird swatters
I happened to see an idea for this problem in Sail Magazines Best Tips just the other day. They suggested running a line (rope, fishing line, etc.) from a point near the top of the mast down to the deck to a point approximately four feet in front of the mast. Next, cut a piece of garden hose, approximately 5 feet long (adjust to fit the length of your spreaders) and attache it to the line at a point slightly above the level of your spreaders such that you have an equal length of hose on each side of the line. Theoretically, the hose will swing in the wind and "swat" birds off of your rigging. Don't know if it will work but it looked good on paper.
I happened to see an idea for this problem in Sail Magazines Best Tips just the other day. They suggested running a line (rope, fishing line, etc.) from a point near the top of the mast down to the deck to a point approximately four feet in front of the mast. Next, cut a piece of garden hose, approximately 5 feet long (adjust to fit the length of your spreaders) and attache it to the line at a point slightly above the level of your spreaders such that you have an equal length of hose on each side of the line. Theoretically, the hose will swing in the wind and "swat" birds off of your rigging. Don't know if it will work but it looked good on paper.
Birds
Ever since I put an inflatable snake on deck the droppings have fallen of significantly. My neighbor did this to his front porch on his house had even better results. Good luck.
Ever since I put an inflatable snake on deck the droppings have fallen of significantly. My neighbor did this to his front porch on his house had even better results. Good luck.
Cloths Hooks...
Attach cloths-pins to your lifelines and run fishing line through them...the birds can't perch on them and, thus, no bird poop...
Attach cloths-pins to your lifelines and run fishing line through them...the birds can't perch on them and, thus, no bird poop...
I hate it when
berry season come around. The the colored poop is really hard to clean up. When the birds flock to Kerr Lake, NC, they like to hang out on the wind indicator on my mast. Three or so will sit on the anemometer arm while another two ride the wind vane. Then they switch places. Can't think of anyway from keeping them off the top off the mast. -Doug s/v BRENDA GAIL
berry season come around. The the colored poop is really hard to clean up. When the birds flock to Kerr Lake, NC, they like to hang out on the wind indicator on my mast. Three or so will sit on the anemometer arm while another two ride the wind vane. Then they switch places. Can't think of anyway from keeping them off the top off the mast. -Doug s/v BRENDA GAIL
Solution that really works
Call Coneys Marine in Huntington NY and they will sell you BIRD-X spikes that attach to the spreaders and the top of the mast,. They sold it to me
Call Coneys Marine in Huntington NY and they will sell you BIRD-X spikes that attach to the spreaders and the top of the mast,. They sold it to me
Our solution to "nasty birds"
We have a lot of trouble in our harbor with commorants. They are just plain nasty birds. Our solution is streamers attached to a broomstick. Hoist up the main halyard from which a piece of line connects to the horizontal broomstick w/streamers just above the spreaders, with line connected to each end of the broomstick to attach to the lifelines below. It may not look pretty, but most everyone in our harbor has done it. In the morning when you see the boats that didn't rig up something there could be 4 birds sitting on their spreaders. Good luck to them cleaning up their boat. I know, I've been there....
We have a lot of trouble in our harbor with commorants. They are just plain nasty birds. Our solution is streamers attached to a broomstick. Hoist up the main halyard from which a piece of line connects to the horizontal broomstick w/streamers just above the spreaders, with line connected to each end of the broomstick to attach to the lifelines below. It may not look pretty, but most everyone in our harbor has done it. In the morning when you see the boats that didn't rig up something there could be 4 birds sitting on their spreaders. Good luck to them cleaning up their boat. I know, I've been there....
I don't understand...
why people don't like bird poop on their boats. It's part of sailing. If you don't like the bird poop you should ...oh...wait a minute...that's clanging halyards...never mind.
why people don't like bird poop on their boats. It's part of sailing. If you don't like the bird poop you should ...oh...wait a minute...that's clanging halyards...never mind.
noodles
I have attached a halyard line to two noodles crisscross tied. (styrofoam tubes the kids float on) and run it up to right above the spreaders with a line attached to the bottom to haul back down. Looks stupid, when you forget to take down, but works great. noodles are light weight and large thus they swing and the birds find another boat.
I have attached a halyard line to two noodles crisscross tied. (styrofoam tubes the kids float on) and run it up to right above the spreaders with a line attached to the bottom to haul back down. Looks stupid, when you forget to take down, but works great. noodles are light weight and large thus they swing and the birds find another boat.
CD's
Our problem is cedar wax wings and swallows. We take a couple old CD's (like the kind they keep sending you from AOL) and glue them together (shiny side out). Put a light weight line/string through the hole and hang them up. We did this 2 weeks ago and the following weekend, our boat was the only one with a clean deck. When we go out tonight for the weekend I expect we'll see more boats trying this. Owls have not worked, but snakes have done a pretty good job as well.
Our problem is cedar wax wings and swallows. We take a couple old CD's (like the kind they keep sending you from AOL) and glue them together (shiny side out). Put a light weight line/string through the hole and hang them up. We did this 2 weeks ago and the following weekend, our boat was the only one with a clean deck. When we go out tonight for the weekend I expect we'll see more boats trying this. Owls have not worked, but snakes have done a pretty good job as well.
Now there's a topic...
Which CD's which would you most want to haul up the mast to scare birds away? It's the companion topic to the annoying anchorage sounds.
Which CD's which would you most want to haul up the mast to scare birds away? It's the companion topic to the annoying anchorage sounds.
Try this
Nothing protects the sailboat like Too-Tough tarp, available by mail order out of Philadelphia. I use a 10x15 for the bow, 20x15 from the mast all the way back. With the right plastic hooks and a few strategic bungy cords, the boat is fully protected from rain, birds and (worst of all) sun. The setup lasts an entire year and costs all of $50.
Nothing protects the sailboat like Too-Tough tarp, available by mail order out of Philadelphia. I use a 10x15 for the bow, 20x15 from the mast all the way back. With the right plastic hooks and a few strategic bungy cords, the boat is fully protected from rain, birds and (worst of all) sun. The setup lasts an entire year and costs all of $50.
Thanks
To all you brave "Fecal Fighters" I say thank you for the varied and useful responses. I've done the owl/snake thing and results are so-so and being determined and strong-willed I want complete victory over those bombers so will try out a few of the ideas given and add the BirdBarrier spikes to the spreaders to boot. If you are interested give a look at "www.birdbarrier.com"
To all you brave "Fecal Fighters" I say thank you for the varied and useful responses. I've done the owl/snake thing and results are so-so and being determined and strong-willed I want complete victory over those bombers so will try out a few of the ideas given and add the BirdBarrier spikes to the spreaders to boot. If you are interested give a look at "www.birdbarrier.com"
Metallica and Garth Brooks
Either one would be guaranteed to scare the he** out of any bird, not to mention any sane human! LaDonna
Either one would be guaranteed to scare the he** out of any bird, not to mention any sane human!
LaDonnaloose line
I have found that putting up a loosely tied line over where ever the birds like to sit gets them away. Say they are stting on your boom, tie a line from the mast to the topping lift so that the birds cannot comfortably sit on the boom. The line must be loose enough that they cannot comfortably sit on the line, too wobbly, but tight enough that they just do not move it out of the way. They don't like it and move away to a better haunt.
I have found that putting up a loosely tied line over where ever the birds like to sit gets them away. Say they are stting on your boom, tie a line from the mast to the topping lift so that the birds cannot comfortably sit on the boom. The line must be loose enough that they cannot comfortably sit on the line, too wobbly, but tight enough that they just do not move it out of the way. They don't like it and move away to a better haunt.
Hey Caroline- a question
What keeps the buggers from perching on your horizontal Broomstick? Jim McCue
What keeps the buggers from perching on your horizontal Broomstick? Jim McCue
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